In a magnetic rigid disk storage device, a rotating disk is employed to store information in small magnetized domains located on the disk surface. By providing advanced mechanisms to accurately and rapidly record/retrieve data to/from these domains, a large quantity of information can conveniently be manipulated in a small physical volume.
Rigid disk storage devices typically include a frame to provide attachment points and orientation for other components, and a spindle motor mounted to the frame for rotating the disk. A magnetic read/write head capable of flying in close proximity to the rigid disk(s) enables the creation of the magnetic domains on the disk. The head is supported and properly oriented in relationship to the disk by a head suspension assembly which provides forces and compliances necessary for proper transducer operation. The suspension assembly and head are driven and positioned with respect to the disk by an actuator mounted to the frame.
A typical head suspension assembly (HSA) includes an elongated load beam, an actuator plate attached to a proximal end of the load beam for mounting the load beam to an actuator arm of a disk drive, and a gimballing flexure at a distal end of the load beam. A head slider is mounted to the flexure and thereby supported in read/write orientation with respect to an associated disk. Rails or flanges extend generally longitudinally along the load beam to add rigidity and provide routing for wire leads extending from the head slider. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,945, MAGNETIC HEAD SUSPENSION, issued Mar. 30, 1993, describes load beam transitional side rails or flanges, which gradually progress from a minimum Z-axis depth (that is, minimum height) at a proximal end of the load beam (adjacent to the rigid arm) to a maximum Z-axis depth (that is, maximum height) at a load beam distal end to provide increased loading clearance and increased disk to suspension clearance to facilitate lifting of the proximal end of the load beam.
On the load beam, between the distal end of the actuator plate and the proximal end of the rails or flanges, is an area of flexibility referred to as the spring region. Manufacturers and designers of such magnetic disk drives are continually looking for ways to increase storage capacity while maintaining specific form factors (i.e., component sizes and dimensional relationships) for disk drive design. Improved resonance performance of the suspension, through higher resonant frequencies and lower gains for off track modes, allows for the utilization of a higher number of data tracks per centimeter on the disk. A higher areal density and more data storage per disk surface can thereby be obtained.
The general design of an HSA flexure allows the head to pitch about a first axis, generally oriented longitudinally with respect to the suspension, and roll about a second or transverse axis, perpendicular to the first axis, when imperfections in the disk drive assembly tend to place the head in improper positions relative to the surface of the disk.
Also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,945 are tooling features on the load beam, such as at the proximal end of the load beam or just proximal of a distal end of the load beam, to facilitate accurate angular placement in alignment and assembly of the suspension.
A specific prior HSA, available from the assignee of the present invention and designated the Type 16, is designed for use with a 50% slider. The Type 16 requires that the Z-axis tolerance be held to +/-0.12 mm. However, there is a continuing need for improvements in HSAs which would allow increased Z-axis tolerance.
Although certain features of the present invention are separately found in conventional HSAs, the particular combination of features of the HSAs of the present disclosure has not previously been suggested to be associated in a single HSA, and the present combination offers specific unobvious and improved advantages in performance that are not obtainable with currently available HSAs.